Unusually I had an opportunity to travel to London on a Sunday... The first train out of Birmingham on a Sunday is the 0830 Pendolino which has an extra 30 minutes built into its schedule compared to the weekday run (partly because it stops at all the 'Pendolino' calling points - see below).
The train left New Street 8 minutes late due to overrunning engineering works towards Coventry. It was fairly quiet on departure but picked up many passengers at subsequent stations until the Standard class was standing room only after Milton Keynes. Fortunately, I was taking advantage of the £10 upgrade offer to First Class which Virgin are offering over the summer holidays (see my Weekend First post) so was spared such overcrowding. Not suprisingly, one or two adventurous souls made it into First Class after MK vowing to fight extradiction should the train manager challenge them - strangely enough he did not appear...
Despite the engineering works, arrival at Euston was on time thanks to the extra 30 minutes in the schedule. Virgin certainly are delivering with their Pendolinos- it's just a pity that they are failing to promote the benefits of leisure First Class travel as a way of managing excess passenger numbers on their trains.
Returned on the 3-coach Chiltern Clubman 20.20 departure from Marylebone. This is of course was full on departure due to the additional stops at Gerards Cross and Princess Risborough but had emptied to a comfortable level after High Wycombe. The timing of this train is very easy (2hrs 20 mins!) so it easily made it into Moor Street as booked.
Revenue protection at Marylebone (gates) and after Banbury (an active train manager) presumably means that Chiltern get a good return from running the service BUT are intermediate passenger numbers being picked up?
Overall a good day's travel once more but am relieved that Sunday is not one of my usual travelling days!
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